Weekly Devotional: Learning to Forgive with God’s Help

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

If we are honest with ourselves, forgiving others is one of the hardest things to do.

When we are hurt by someone else, our human nature often tells us to get revenge. Somehow, by hurting the other person in return, we feel better about ourselves.

But where does our Christian faith come into all of this? Unfortunately, when we try to make sure justice is served, we take matters into our own hands instead of trusting God. In doing this, we miss what Christianity is all about.

As Christians, we know that all humans are far from perfect, including ourselves. We are prone to sin and consistently fall short of the glory of God, no matter how hard we try to live an upright life.

But there is hope! We are all sons and daughters of the King, and we are loved by Him. In fact, because God loves us so much, He sent His one and only Son to die for our sins so that we can have eternal life with Him.

It is important to understand that if God had not forgiven us, we could never be saved. Therefore, we ought to forgive others. Matthew 6:15 says, “But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

In addition, when we place our value in how God sees us rather than in how others see us, we are less likely to want revenge when someone else criticizes us. In the long run, this can allow us to get to the place where we can pray for our enemies. After all, when we refuse to forgive, we are the ones who suffer from the open wound.

Forgiveness is never easy, and it is important to remember that it does not validate the hurtful things others may do or say to us. However, in the end, forgiving with God’s help can allow us to move on. Our God is a God of justice, and we can rest in knowing that He cares for us and wants the best for us.

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